Like other free WordPress plugins, installing the MailChimp for WordPress plugin is quite easy-going. All you need is a MailChimp account and a WordPress site.

In your WordPress admin panel, go to Plugins > New Plugin, search for MailChimp for WordPress and click "Install now"

Alternatively, download the plugin from WordPress.org manually and upload the contents of mailchimp-for-wp.zip to your plugins directory.

Activate the plugin

Set your MailChimp API key in the plugin settings.

If you see the green square that says Connected, that means your website can communicate with your MailChimp account.

You are now ready to start collecting MailChimp subscribers through your WordPress site.

Requirement: set up a list

If you haven't already, please make sure to go to your MailChimp Dashboard and set up a new list. When doing so, think about the different fields your list will need.

MailChimp offers the possibility of using different field types. Simply put, these types tell MailChimp and our plugin what sort of data to expect. That way we can check if the input your potential subscriber is trying to pass along corresponds with the data you would like to receive. Using correct field types will decrease the chance of errors, so it's good to give it some thought!

If you have set up a new list after installing the MailChimp for WordPress plugin, you will need to refresh the plugin's saved data (or cache) for changes to show up in your website.

Create your first form

Once you have your list ready, it's time to set up your first form! This part should be a breeze; you've already done the hard bit.

Within your website, please go here:

MailChimp for WP > Forms

Lite users: You should be taken to the 'Edit form' page straight away.

Pro users: you will need to make a new form by clicking the 'Create New Form' button atop the Sign-up Forms list.

Edit your form

You will see the Edit form page with it's editor; a basic form has already been made for you, based on the default input fields MailChimp creates when you starting a new list. It is now up to you to edit that form to your liking.The easiest way to do this is by using our field generator. It does exactly as the name implies; it generates fields for you, based on the list that you have created.

Using this generator will ensure that the names and ID's of your fields are correct, allowing for little error.